init-project

/init-project — Project Initialization

Initialize a new project through structured context gathering: questioning → research → requirements → roadmap → state. Uses planning-tools.cjs for deterministic state setup.

What This Creates

.planning/
├── PROJECT.md        — Project context, goals, constraints, tech stack
├── REQUIREMENTS.md   — Scoped requirements with acceptance criteria
├── ROADMAP.md        — Phase structure with dependencies and estimates
├── STATE.md          — Current state tracker (living document)
├── MEMORY.md         — Persistent project brain (~300 lines max)
├── config.json       — Workflow preferences and execution config
├── plans/            — Implementation plans per phase
├── research/         — Research outputs and discussion contexts
├── debug/            — Debug investigation logs
├── sessions/         — Session logs for memory system
│   └── _archive/     — Archived older sessions
├── decisions/
│   └── DECISIONS.md  — Chronological decision log
├── context/
│   ├── architecture.md — Architecture decisions record
│   ├── patterns.md     — Established code patterns
│   ├── gotchas.md      — Known issues and workarounds
│   └── tech-debt.md    — Known technical debt
├── handoffs/
│   ├── LATEST.md       — Last session's handoff note
│   └── _history/       — Previous handoffs
├── phases/           — Phase directories (created as needed)
└── uat/              — User acceptance testing

After this command: Run /discuss [feature] to lock decisions, then /plan to start.

Instructions

Step 0: Bootstrap Structure (MANDATORY FIRST STEP)

node planning-tools.cjs init

This creates the entire .planning/ directory structure and config.json deterministically. Do NOT create directories/files manually.

Step 1: Context Gathering

If $ARGUMENTS is provided, use it as the project description. Otherwise, ask:

1. What are you building? — Project name, one-line description, 3-sentence vision.
2. Who is this for? — Target users, use cases, scale expectations.
3. Tech stack? — Language, framework, database, infrastructure.
4. What exists already? — Greenfield or adding to existing codebase?
5. Constraints? — Deadlines, budget, team size, mandatory tech choices.
6. Quality priorities? — Rank: speed, reliability, security, maintainability, UX.
7. Working style? — Interactive (confirm each step) or auto (trust the agent)?
8. Depth preference? — Quick (speed), standard (balanced), or comprehensive (thorough)?